You know how it is: you get the weekly groceries, only to find out at the end of the week that the vegetables are no longer good. How do you solve that?
Handle food responsibly
If you think throwing away food is a shame, you are not alone: the vast majority of the Netherlands shares this opinion. Research by HelloFresh shows that no fewer than 83 percent of respondents see wasting less food as one of the most important points for using food responsibly. Responsible and healthy eating (82 percent) and helping the planet and animal welfare (57 percent) are also important points for wasting less food.
How do you keep vegetables fresh for longer?
If you want to waste less food, it is important that as little food as possible ends up in the trash. But how exactly can you do that? We have a number of tips for you to ensure that few vegetables appear in the trash:
- When your lettuce has become limp, you can easily place the lettuce leaves in a layer of water for a few hours. After one or two hours, remove them from the water and place them in a bowl or on a plate in the refrigerator
- See how your food looks in the supermarket. Were the cut items and fruit in the refrigerator? Then the idea is that they are also in the refrigerator at home.
- No longer store food in plastic containers in the same way when you get home. Plastic ensures that little moisture can be lost, which can cause food to mold more quickly. Make sure you put a paper towel in the container, or buy the product in a cardboard box.
- It is best to buy carrots and radishes at the bunch. When you get home, remove all the greenery and place the ends of the carrots and radishes in a thin layer of water. This way they stay firm and fresh.
- Don’t buy vegetables in plastic. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it often does not belong in plastic. In addition, food becomes stale faster in plastic, just like in plastic containers, because it cannot lose its natural moisture.
- Shop with the season: by buying out-of-season food you contribute to a less CO2-friendly world. Vegetables are also no longer grown in greenhouses in the summer: this means that food grown on rock wool in greenhouses contains fewer nutrients than when it grows from the ground. It is therefore also better for your health and stays fresh longer.
